Protocol 51:
by TheDarkAurora6
Summary: The journey of Aloy, as she tries to save the world from a greater threat than Hades...


"I'm coming for you, Aloy." A voice whispers through the snowy night.

Aloy awakens from her dream shivering in fear, or was it something else? She gets up slowly examining her surroundings, the snowy mountains, the night sky, and the small camp she has made. 

"I wonder who that was in my dream?" Thinking to herself, while preparing for the late night journey.

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind for her, with the proving, shadow fall warriors attacking her tribe, and Ross's death. She just wants to be free from it all the tribe, the pain, and the destroying of Hades. Aloys climbs up to the nearby lab, eyeing the technological marvel that was once home to the ancients. 

She scans the area with her focus gazing over the area with a high guard. The lab glows with purple light, as she enters through the previously sealed doors. "I wonder what this place was used for?" 

"Experimentation. " A quiet voice says with no tone of emotion, it's almost robotic but soothing. 

Aloy pulls her out her bow quickly then takes cover drawing it back, as she looks for the unknown person. " Whose there? Show yourself." 

Sylens appears from his hidden location, " It has been a while, Aloy."

"What are you doing here Sylens? I figured you would be busy exploring the ancients' labs or what not." She says, while placing her bow back into its usual place.

"I am here to give you something." He tosses her a focus, which appears to be exact same as her current one except it has writing on top of it. 

"I already have a focus Sylens." 

"I know that Aloy, but the one you're wearing is a precursor to the one that I just tossed into your hand. It has more advantages, such as higher levels of knowledge, a scanner that can read heart rate and current dangers, and many other things that I will let you find out on your own. Consider it a gift for saving the world." Sylens monologues to Aloy, as he prepares to make his leave.

"One more thing. Look out for the man with-"

"Systems shutdown eminent. Protocol 45. Activated." The lab flares to life, as the entire area is flaring with emergency sounds.

"What's going on Sylens?" Aloy as confused as to how the ancient tech is reactivating seemingly on its own.

"All intruders will be terminated in one minute."

"There is no time for these questions. We need to escape this place now." The duo pack of their equipment, as they search for a new exit route.

"We will go through that door on the right. Use your spear to pry it open." Sylens commands.

Usually she would rebuttal with the man, but both of their lives depended on their cooperation. Aloy rushes to the door, using her spear to keep the door open long enough for Sylens to slip through, then herself.

Consequently, snapping most of her precious spear apart as they both rush outside. As their feet touch the frozen snow, the lab exploded.

BOOM!

Aloy lets out a sigh of relief, before catching her breath from the fast pace encounter. "Sylens. Explain. Now!" She was far from pleased. The lab could have brought her potentially useful information, but now it was all gone. The crackling flames only served to remind her of that.

"It must have been...him." As if he had read her mind. "It's an anomaly. A man that I have spotted in my travels appears to be the cause of the activation of these dormant systems."

"A man..." Aloy reminiscences of the dream she had. The mysterious man that was in it. Could it be him that Sylens is talking about? The thought of all the hidden technology at the man's disposal will have to be stopped for the sake of everyone. Just as she once done with Hades.

"I must go now. This requires investigating, which will require your expertise." Sylens explains, as he prepares to make his departure.

"Where do you suppose I start looking? After all you are the one that has seen him, Sylens."

"Check around the labs in the northern regions. He only seems to appear at night and in the snowy areas. And while you are doing that, I will check with my sources to find shy information that I can relay to you." Sylens leaves Aloy to her investigation, returning to his old friend, Hades, for knowledge on this anomaly.

"We need to find out about this mysterious person, and potentially extract everything that he does know." Aloy thinks to herself preparing herself for the unknown ventures ahead.

After traveling to the northern mountains of the Banuk, Aloy begins to set up a small shelter inside a cave. "I will rest for now, then wake up to search during the night. Hopefully, I can find this guy before he awakens anymore machines." She lays down on the soft-matted bed before closing her eyes for a restful sleep.

Aloy looks around her observing the strange surroundings. The beautiful architecture that was a sign of the old ones, now covered in snow and decay of corpses. She walks slowly checking for any thing that could be useful for a sense direction. It feels, as if she is walking in an endless circle with no end. 

She knew that it would be ignorant to ask if anyone is here, judging by the amount of skeletons anyone that was once here is long dead. Before too long, she hears the sound of snow crunching under boots. A hand grabs her by the throat lifting her up. She kicks and struggles trying to break free from the man's grasp, but it is all for naught as he squeezes her windpipe tighter.

"You are weak. I expected more from the woman that saved the world from extinction. Or did I give you too much credit?" He throws Aloy against a frozen tree. I know you are better than this? Show me. 

Aloy coughs catching her breath, as she can feel the pain from the blow against the tree. She looks up and sees the armored man approaching her with some type of weapon that she had never seen before, but her instincts told her not to get hit by it. 

"This is the end."

He brings down his sword upon her. Aloy looks at the man one final time catching sight of grey eyes. "Goodbye...Aloy."

Aloy pops up from her sleep breathing roughly, as she pats the her body. The cold sweats going down her face, as she tries to make sense of what just happened. " I'm alive? It was just a dream." She stands up shakily, putting the armor she made from the Shield-Weaver on.

That man. I will not die to him, nor will I lose. She attaches the new focus to her ear, and begins her hunt with newly found motivation to stop the unknown man. No matter what the cost maybe.

Activating her focus, as it scans the snowy tracks revealing one set of footsteps that appear to have stop right next to her camp. "So,he was here. Watching me in my sleep."

Placing that thought aside, she backtracks the steps searching for the unknown man. The winter winds blow roughly, but she pushes forwards. Every inch of pain is only a reminder that she must push until she can no more, then push even harder.

The footsteps lead to a cavern. One unlike any that she has seen. It is filled with cables and wires that lead to a multitude of areas. She didn't stand idle long, "I will stop you..."

Running in to cavern with no goal but to stop the man in the abyss.


End file.
